Ryou's 17th Birthday
by Hikikomori
Summary: Birthdayfic to a very special person. This says it all, read it and find out. Ry, this is for you.


Ryou sat quietly in the kitchen, fiddling with a piece of paper, just to make time… pass by.

Anything to try to forget how nervous he were about today.  
His 17th birthday... He'd grown a lot, both on the inside and on the outside, so he'd bought a couple of new clothes, as a kind of "personal" gift. Sort of. He didn't know why he did it. Just felt nize to spoil himself for once, considering that he'd gone through a tough time with past relationships and school, not to mention discovering that he could actually love another person again. For that, he was glad and he smiled as the thought of his somewhat new boyfriend, maybe, would come and visit him.

That was the core of him feeling so nervous and he tore the piece of paper to shreads, biting his nails and pached through the room, over and over again until he grew tired of it and took a shower.

His cellphone vibrated in his jeanspocket and so he picked it up.  
Malik, his new boyfriend had sent him a textmessage.  
In it it said:  
"Hey Ryou! How are you today? I know it is your birthday today, so I'll stop by in a couple of minutes, just to say congrats and all that kind of things... Be there in 10."

He panicked, redid his unruly hair and but on some lipgloss, just for the sake of looking a bit more appealing then he used to. Not that he needed it, but it made him feel extra special when he made an atempt to look a bit nizer. Not that it would matter, Malik liked him nomatter how he would look, but yeah... Whatever.  
Nothing could ruin his day now. Nothing. There would be one thing, he figured though... But he hoped that it wouldn't happen in a very long time.

He opened the door as the doorbell rang and was greeted by his beloved Malik, smiling brightly with his hair combed back and a fresh shirt, buttoned up neatly.  
He handed over Ryou a red rose.  
"To celebrate your birthday AND our newfound love." He giggled, in that dorky-cool kind of way that Ryou always found really cute and special.  
He blushed, took the flower, said thank you and carefully gave Malik a kiss on the lips.  
"It's beautiful." He touched one of the many thin and kind of crisp petals and flinched as he accidently cut his finger on a sharp thorn.  
"Oh, fu-..." He cut himself of and went to get a bandage.  
"Let me help you with that!" Malik said and sat beside him, took his hand and examined it carefully. "That's pretty deep... You know someone who can stitch that up? I mean, without going to the hospital... It's your birthday, for christ sake."  
"Oh, that would only be..." He suddenly thought about Bakura. The one and only man he hated with every fibre of his being, but yet still held some kind of emotions against. What he meant was that... well. It didn't exactly go as planned with Bakura. It all went to hell and they've been without any physical, in real life kind of contact, for about a year soon. It felt odd, not having him as close as before, by his side. Now he relied on Malik to be there, but that felt odd too, even tough they clicked and worked wonderfully together and all that... Long story...  
Although, he always felt this creepy feeling of being constantly watched.  
No doubt, it was Bakura who still wanted to be a part of his life.

"Who?" Malik asked.  
"...B-Bakura..."  
Malik bit his lip in frustration, knowing far to well what "that bastard" had put Ryou through.  
"There's no one else that you know can stitch up a wound?"  
"No... But if I ask him to come, you'll probably just get into a fight, with him still being very possesive when it comes to me... And I don't want that on my birthday... Although I've got to admit I'm really curious of how he's changed during these years..." He stoped himself there, seing an angry Malik clenching a fist.  
"S-Sorry..."  
"So, what to we do? A bandage won't help and the hospital would probably want to keep you over night, considering your low blood pressure and all that..."  
"I... have to atleast ask him. If he can come over. Stitch up my wound and then I'll tell him to leave. Is that ok with you?"  
"I guess... But if that bastard hurts you... I swear I'm going to kill him. You're mine, and he's got to understand that, even if it takes a good deal of beating and..."  
"Relax. He won't hurt me. I'm too precious to him, you know that..."  
Malik huffed in defeat and sat himself down on a sofa in the livingroom.

Ryou wrote in his textmessage to Bakura:  
"Cut my finger on a rose petal. It's real deep and you're the only one I know... that knows how to stitch up a wound... so it will heal perfectly and all that. Could you come over?"  
A mere second passed by, as if Bakura had launched himself at his cellphone as fast as he could. Ryou gulped and read Bakuras answer:  
"Ofc... Although, I wonder why you'd ask me, considering you've more or less said that you never wanted to meet me IRL. Hah~, fuck that. I'll be right over. Should take be about half an hour, I'll leave in a minute or so. I'm actually in town right now, close to were you live. Thought I'd stop by for your birhtday, although if your dear Malik's there I don't know how fond he would be if your fucked up, psycho ex came knocking on your door. BWAH. This is going to interresting."

"That was... disturbing..." Malik said as he peaked over Ryous shoulder, cathing glimps of the text.  
"HEY! Don't sneek-read my textmessages!" Ryou gave a slight pout but got back to normal as Malik quickly hugged him.  
"You know, I'm shitscared of that guy. Of him hurting you. Again. What happens if he gets violent?"  
"Then I'll simply lock myself in the bathroom and let you talk to him and calm him down, or something... Okey?"  
"Y-Yeah... I guess."

Half an hour had soon passed by and the doorbell rang, once again, but now with a scarier sound then before, Ryou thought.  
He carefully opened the door, with Malik hovering over him.  
"Hey Ry. You okey?" He simply said, hanging of his leather jacket and took of his steel-toed boots.  
"Y-Yeah, I guess." He nodded and took a step back.  
Bakura watched silently with a small smirk on his lips. "You suddenly afraid of me now, eventhough your all heroic little boyfriend's here to protect you?" He said, with vicious burning eyes, and a slight kind of animalistic growl, deep in his throat.  
"Hey, what the fuck's wrong with you, asshole?" Malik roared, stepping in between Ryou and Bakura.

Bakura laughed mockingly and just said:  
"What are you going to do about ME, then? Beat me all bloody to make you look like the superior lover, right?"  
"Shut up. No one really wants you here to begin with. I can send all of Ryou's and my friends to kick your ass in a matter of seconds."  
"As if that's going to scare me of? You think I'm here to fight you, or all your little, and oh so special friends? Fuck no. I'm here to help Ryou in stitching up a wound. That's all. And if you don't get out of my way right now, YOU'LL be the one that's going to bleed."  
"Everyone here fucking hates your guts, you know that!" Malik hissed, clenching his fists all over again, tighter and tighter every time.  
"So? You think I care about that? No. I care about Ryou, and no one else. This is going to be somewhat of a relief for you, but I hate your guts to, for taking what belongs to me."  
"Belongs to you? Ryou's not a damn toy, you egoistic bastard." Malik yelled and smacked Bakura in the face.  
Ryou cried out and stood, shaking on the spot.

Bakura rubbed his red cheek and swallowed a bit of blood. When his famous smirk appeared, his teeth were all covered and smeared in saliva mixed blood.  
"So, are you really sure you want to fight me...? I'll prove to you that I've got more anger and frustration built up inside of me then you do, you pathetic excuse of a boyfriend."  
Malik bit his lip but his fists remained tighly shut.  
"Answer me now, and hope that I'll forget what you just did." Bakura exclaimed.  
"D-Damn you! DAMN YOU! Go to hell! I'll make you understand that you'll never get Ryou back, because he's MINE now...!" Malik hit him again, although this time in the stomach.

Bakura laughed, a deep and threatening laugh, covered in disgust and extreme selfconfidence.  
"You hear that Ryou? Do you believe him? Really?"  
Bakura held his stomach, coughed and locked eyes with the terrified young boy.  
"Stop... Just stop... I never wanted you to fight over me. None of you... I don't belong to anyone... I'm my own person and n-no matter what you or Malik might say, y-you will never be able to change that fact."  
Bakura smiled, a warm, genuine smile and quietly whispered something.  
"I'm sorry, what?" Malik growled, ozing with anger.  
"It's not for you to hear. It's reserved for Ryou, and Ryou only. Now if you could just put aside your anger for a little while and let me stitch up his finger.... And then you'll be able to continue being all lovey-dovey throughout the night without me bothering you."

Ryou swallowed, but pulled Malik away to let Bakura into the bathroom, where he could find needles, alcohol and all that he needed to help him.  
Malik slammed one of the beedroom doors and locked himself inside, muttering angry words during that whole time.

Bakura exhaled and cleaned all his equipment and sat himself down beside Ryou, who wobbled unsteady on the toilet seat.  
"Sorry about that. I could understand though why he's so fucking ridicously angry."  
"... Y-Yeah..."  
"Hey, at least I didn't hit him back." He said, with needle and thread in his hands.  
"You ready?"  
"Just do it, so it'll be over and done with."  
Bakura began stitching, carefully, making sure that he'd hurt Ryou as little as possible.  
"Why are you so gentle? I though you were pissed at me for wanting to forget you ever existed..."  
"... Maybe not pissed, just extremely hurt and suicidal. But I'm used to that by know."  
"Why can't you just move on with your life like any other normal human being would do?"  
Ryou asked, twitching slightly at the small tug of thin skin on his fingertip.  
"With this, I'll never "just move on". You should know that... even better by now."  
"Don't you think it would be a lot more easier to just... walk away?"  
"No. In fact, that would be even harder. To never, ever have you in my life again, that tears me up inside, and hurts worse then any self-made cut could ever do. The reason for my pain is you, but it's also a source of extreme happiness and relief... To know that you still, in some way, need me. And eventhough you're trying to cover up the fact that you still do, deep inside, have some kind of love left for me..."  
Bakura breathed, a somewhat harsh and shallow breath, almost as if he was ready to cry.  
"Do you... still love me?"  
Bakura grew silent, stopping his "stitching mission".  
"'Kura? Please... I... need to know."  
"What do you think my answer will be to that question?"

"... I don't know."  
"Yes, you do. I've got to admit, that right now, all I want to do is to grab you, kiss you until you don't know what the word breath means anymore and hold you in my arms to prove to you that I... that I'll be right here. I'll never leave you. No matter how badly you want me to, I won't. That is a thing I can never do. No matter how good, or bad everything would turn out from now on, I won't leave. I'll stand by in the sidelines, watching your every step into your new life. I'll keep an eye on how you feel and I promise you now... That I won't hesitate to come running if you feel like dying, or... anything like that."  
"'K-Kura... Y-You can't do... that."  
"Do what? Kiss you, or hold you?"  
"B-Both... It'll feel awkward."  
"Or it'll feel absolutely amazing. Aren't you curious AT ALL on how it would feel?"  
"I'm always curious. Maybe not about that. It would tear up too many wounds..."  
"Or it will heal them. You can't win over me in this type of discussion."  
"A-Are you done with stitching me up soon?"  
"Ry...You can't avoid me forever, you know."  
"What if I want to?"  
"You just can't. That's how it is. Someday you'll have to face me, and your emotions... and mine. No one can keep this shit bottled up inside... In fact, this is not as hard as you thought it would be, am I right?"  
"M-Maybe not... It just feels extremely odd to see.. That you actually have changed..."  
"Anything to make you realise that I'm not the asshole you once knew. I'm not all shear evil but I'm not that typical loving ex either. But I'm... all I can be is Bakura. The only one I can be is me, myself and I. Do you understand were I want to lead this conversation?"  
"I don't know... anymore... It feels as if you're... someone else, far away... that I've only known for seconds."  
"But I'm not. I'm as real as you are and I'm not going anywhere."  
"So I take it that you... still love me then?"  
"Yes. I'll always love you. And continue to prove to you that I CAN change for the better so that it'll be somewhat easier for you to have me as a part of your future..."  
Bakura finished stitching up Ryou's mangled fingertip, dried away the blood and lovingly wraped it up in a piece of sterile cotton.  
"...Feel better now?"  
"Yes... T-Thank you..."  
"...Ry..." He gave a deep and tormented sigh.  
"Y-Yes? What is it, 'Kura?"  
"Would you let me do, just this one thing?"  
"W-What would that be...?" He looked at Bakura's watery eyes.  
"I won't let you push me away this time... Be so sure..." And without a word, Bakura leaned forward and tighly held Ryou in his arms.  
He smelled the side of Ryou's neck, as he always did, before, when they were together. He inhaled the scent as if there was no tomorrow and clinged onto the only form of security and... purest kind of love he had ever known in his entire life.  
"No matter what you or I might say or try to fool ourselves into believing... We'll ALWAYS belong to each other. In our souls and hearts we'll always love each other, and no matter how angry or bitter or proud you might be to admit this fact, we both know it's true. You'll move on with your life, with new lovers, partners or friends, and I will do the same... But deep inside, you will always be my RyRy and I'll forever be your 'Kura. And someday you'll be able to look me in the eye and say: "Well, 'Kura... We actually had a great time together and I lock forward to create a new, and better kind of friendship AND future with you..."... Do you understand me, Ryou?"  
Ryou hesitated, but hugged him back, carefully but soft and held back the tears pooling up in his eyes. Bakura was also crying, but did his best to hide it.  
"Yes. I understand. I do. Really. C-Can you let go of me now so that I won't come out, looking like a swollen and puffed-faced panda? Malik will beat you to pieces..." Ryou laughed, lovingly and looked Bakura in the eyes, but only for a couple of seconds.  
"A'right then... I'll be good. For you. And Ryou?"  
"Uh, what?" He stuttered, as he cleaned away all the cotton and bandage covered mess they'd created in the bathroom.  
"If you feel real low some day... If Malik maked you feel like shit, if he hurts you in any way, don't EVER hesitate to call me, okey? I'll come running. I'll always come running for you... I'm to stubborn to give up." He smirked, pat Ryou on the head, messed up his hair a little, then waited a minute or so and put all the love he possible could behind the kiss he planted on Ryou forhead.  
"Oh, okey..." Ryou blushed, but giggled, happy that this rollercoast of emotions were, at least for now, over.  
Bakura marched into the hallway, put on his jacket and boots and yelled with a load and clear voice, making sure that Malik would hear:  
"I'll be of then. Take care now!" He winked at Ryou.  
"I'll call you. Maybe just send a text message to know you're okey."  
"You do that... It was... awful, but at the same time kind of... it felt good talking to you about this... B-Bye now. For a while. I need to rest now... This has been a lot to handle on just one day..."

"Oh. By the way..."  
"What?" Ryou blinked.  
"Happy 17th birthday, RyRy." A ring, ingraved with capital letters that formed the words "Always Your RyRy" were shining brightly, on a silverchain around Bakura's neck.  
"T-Thank you... 'Kura..." He smiled, and said goodbye again before closing the door and breathing out, both in relief, but also in this somewhat... warm euphoric feeling.

Malik came wandering back, frustrated and pissed at Bakura for "stealing the show".  
"What did he say to you? Took you guys long enough... Hmph."  
"Naah, nothing much. Just... reasured me of something."  
"Of what?"  
"... It's a secret..." Ryou poked his tongue out and kissed Malik on the cheek. "Don't worry. He won't hurt me, or you, or anyone else that's close to me for that matter. 'Cause he knows how much you mean to me..." He hugged him for a very long time, cuddling close, and happily thinking about the next time Bakura and he would meet up, to grab an icecream at some caffé and smile about the old days... Now he finally knew that life with both Malik AND Bakura would be a lot easier to handle.

All in all, a very succesful birthday.


End file.
